On average, EQ players have 4.96 (N=1236) characters
on their account which are above level 5. There is no significant
gender difference. Male players, however, have on average 1.24 (N=918)
female characters above level 5, while female players have on average
0.39 (N=157) male characters above level 5. This is significant
at the p=.03 level. Male players also have significantly more characters
of the opposite gender than female players even when all their characters
are counted, regardless of level (T[1196]=4.88, Mmale(1010)=1.25,
Mfemale(188)=0.44, p<.001).

Male EQ players who do have female characters report
using them on average about 35.3% (N=275) of the time, while female
players who do have male characters report using them on average
about 14.2% of the time (N=51). This is significant at the p=.003
level.

N

E

O

A

C

Players in the top quartile of Openness are significantly
more likely to have characters of the opposite gender when compared
with those players in the bottom quartile (T[582]=-2.27, Mbottom(260)=0.81,
Mtop(324)=1.20, p=.02). Players in the bottom quartile of Conscientiousness
are significantly more likely to have characters of the opposite
gender when compared with those players in the top quartile (T[528]=3.93,
Mbottom(251)=1.39, Mtop(279)=0.70, p<.001).

Main Character and Highest Level
Character

Only a minority (13.3%, N=898) of EQ players have
a character of the opposite gender as their main character (character
currently used the most). Male players, however, are significantly
more likely than female players to have a main character of the
opposite gender (%male(731)=15.7, %female(158)=2.5, p<.001).

N

E

O

A

C

Players who have a character of the opposite gender
as their current main character, when compared with those players
who have a character of the same gender as their current main character,
score significantly higher on Openness (T[700]=2.38, Myes(99)=14.3,
Mno(603)=15.1, p=.01) and significantly lower on Conscientiousness
(T[700]=-2.02, Myes(99)=20.5, Mno(603)=19.8, p=.04).

With regards to highest level character, again only
a minority (12.6%, N=888) of EQ players have a character of the
opposite gender as their highest level character. Male players,
however, are significantly more likely than female players to have
a character of the opposite gender as their highest level character
(%male(731)=14.6, %female(157)=3.2, p<.001).

Reasons for Gender-Bending

Players who have characters of the opposite gender
were asked to indicate their main reason for doing so from a list
of reasons given. About a quarter of players who did gender-bend
(27.4%, N=333) did so for role-play reasons, while another quarter
(25.6%) did so because of the visual appearance of the opposite
gender.

Female players who did gender-bend were significantly
more likely to do so for gender exploration (%male=6.2, %female=21.1,
p<.001). Male players who did gender-bend were slightly more
likely to do so because of in-game advantages (%male=14.6, %female=5.3,
p=.07).

Reactions to Gender-Bending

In a Flash-implemented experimental design that
manipulated the direction of gender-bending (male-to-female/female-to-male),
EQ players were randomly assigned into 2 conditions:

1) "You've adventured and become quite friendly
with a male character. One day, the character tells you that she
is female in real life. How much does this bother you?"
2) "You've adventured and become quite friendly with a female
character. One day, the character tells you that he is male in real
life. How much does this bother you?"

Participants were asked to rate on a 5 point scale
how much this bothered them, ranging from "Not At All"
(1) to "A Lot" (5). There was a significant effect between
the genders of the participants (F[1,666]=5.83, p=.01), and it was
found that female EQ players were significantly more bothered by
gender-bending than male EQ players were (Tukey HSD, Mmale(584)=1.64,
Mfemale(86)=1.89, p=.01). The direction of the gender-bending also
produced a significant effect (F[1,666]=5.38, p=.02), and it was
found that male-to-female gender-bending was significantly more
troubling than female-to-male gender-bending (Tukey HSD, Mm-to-f(317)=1.89,
Mf-to-m(353)=1.64, p<.001). There was also an interaction effect
between gender of participant and direction of gender-bending (F[1,666]=15.29,
p<.001). In particular, it was found that male players found
female-to-male gender-bending significantly less troubling than
the other 3 combinations.

Aside: So How Many Female Characters
Are Played By Men?

We know that about 16% of EQ players are female
and 84% are male (N=1240). Given a hypothetical pool of 1000 EQ
players, 160 are female and 840 are male.

About 47.9% of male players have a character of
the opposite gender (N=1025), and about 23.3% of female players
have a character of the opposite gender (N=189). Thus, in our hypothetical
population:

Of players who have characters of the opposite gender,
male players use a female character about 35.3% of the time (N=275),
and female players use a male character about 14.2% of the time
(N=51). So, at any given time in our hypothetical pool:

Of 840 male players:

402 have female characters, of which 142 are using
a female character, while 260 are using a male character.
438 do not have female characters, and thus 438 are using male
characters.

Of 160 female players:

37 have male characters, of which 5 are using
a male character, while 32 are using a female character.
123 do not have male characters, and thus 123 are using female
characters.

So in this hypothetical population, we have:

260+438+5=703 male characters, of which 5 (1%)
are played by female players.
142+32+123=297 female characters, of which 142 (48%) are played
by male players.

Thus, about 48% of the female
characters you meet in the game are actually played by male players.

In Their Own Words

Many gamers cited visual appearance as a main reason
for gender-bending:

Personally, for some of the races, the female
graphic just "looks better" than the male graphic, and
that is why I chose the female gender. The male graphics for some
races just looks generic, and bland. [m, 22]

I really did not like the way female characters
were drawn. They make me somewhat uncomfortable and could not
imagine myself as that character. [f, ?]

mainly just because I like the appearance of the
character [f, 22]

Several male respondents talked about the Tomb-Raider
effect - the appeal of an aggressive yet attractive female:

Tomb Raider effect - I don't pine to be treated
better or different by other players, I just like to see a woman
kick some butt [m, 25]

She was my second character. I created a female
because the thought of a ass kicking female sounded fun. I played
her until 27 and lost interest in the class. She was a wood-elf
ranger. [m, 35]

Um probably had something to do with lara croft
i figured i would rater watch a pretty girl run around on the
screen than a sweaty guy. [m, 22]

Other male respondents said that they wanted to
gain more in-game advantages:

People in EQ are nicer to a cute Dark Elf girl.
(Advantage, advantage) [m, 24]

Personally, you recieve a LOT more stuff when
you start out as a female. Take my Barb Shammy for example. I
was simply medding on the ramp in EverFrost, when a guy comes
up to me and says " Hmmm Looks like you are looking for some
new stuff " So he takes me into Halas and buys all Large
Leather or better, and all my spells for lvls 1 and 4. Theres
no contest that female characters get a lot more help. I help
them too, though not as much because it is somtimes obvious that
they are guys =/ [m, 14]

Some gamers used a character of the opposite gender
for role-playing:

Roleplaying, mostly. I wanted to try something
different. So when the iksar race came out, I didn't like how
the females looked, and decided to finally try making a male character,
to try roleplaying a male and to see how I was treated as well.
After making my first male character, the two characters I have
made since him have also been male. [f, 22]

I find a roleplaying experience (which is what
EQ is to me) to be much more enjoyable when you are roleplaying
someone that isn't very much like yourself--having a character
of the opposite just happens to be one of many ways to create
a character that is vastly different than yourself. [m, 14]

My other character is an enchantress, rather than
an enchanter, for 3 reasons: 1) I see an enchanter/enchantress
as more of a feminine character, from other gaming such as AD&D
and Magic: the Gathering, and my own personal ideas. 2) Female
characters can get better prices when selling, since my enchantress
is also a jewelcrafter...:) 3) Since the character is on a 2nd
account, i enjoy the roleplaying i can produce from both characters.
[m, 20]

There were some responses that didn't fit neatly
into any of the categories mentioned already:

I thought the blond barbarian quite the hunk.
And since it was obvious that none of my girls would get hooked
up with one, I decided to play him myself. [f, 39]

I created a male character strictly for the purpose
of getting completely away from everything. It is the last place
anyone would think to look for me. There are also times when I
just don't feel like putting up with some dork who's found out
that I'm female in real life following me around hitting on me.
[f, 33]

When asked whether they found their characters of
the opposite gender were being treated differently, both male and
female players talked about the in-game advantages that came with
being a female character:

Yes! I'm a level 12 High Elf, and I have a staff
of the observers, and an FBR... neither of which I bought! Guys
gave them to me. [m, 16]

Yes. Female characters are given more unsolicited
help at low levels. [m, 24]

Yup. The stereotypes apply. Boy characters didn't
stop to help me the way they stop to help my female characters,
and they didn't just walk up and start a conversation. [f, 37]

Female players who have tried playing male characters
commented that male characters were treated more seriously, and
given more respect:

Yes. I felt that I was taken a little more seriously.
When I play my male characters, other male members of the party
will listen to me better, take me more seriously. In my male form
I could give orders and have them listened to, where as a female,
my characters aren't always taken quite as seriously. Also, where
my female characters were gifted many things when they were young
and naked by random players, I didn't see it happening with my
males, which I didn't mind at all. I've enjoyed the higher level
of "respect" for my abilities that seems to come with
playing in a male body. [f, 22]

I was in a group I had worked with for a while.
I was playing my male paladin and trying to be the group tank.
I was pulling the mobs too ( in a rather dangerous zone). After
a while, a conversation about our home lives started and I made
a comment about my husband. Immediately the guys in the group
asked me if I was really female in RL. When I confirmed it they
started sending out another male character to pull the mobs. I
found the whole group suddenly expecting me to do less melee.
I'm not sure if they became protective of me or if they just assumed
that a female would be less capable in the role of a tank. [f,
29]

When I'm playing a male character, I get a lot
of "bro's" and more of a sense of cameraderie from the
other male players, but that's about it. [f, 30]

When asked whether they had learned anything about
the opposite gender, many male players talked about what they learned
from being constantly harassed by male characters:

I never realized how irritating it can be to have
to put up with unwanted advances. [m, 38]

I'm amazed how throughtless some people can be,
how amazingly inept men are at flirting and starting a conversation
with a female, and how it really does take more effort to be taken
seriousely as a female versus a male. [m, 24]

No, I know most males think with their gonads,
and act accordingly. They live up to my low expectations. [m,
25]

Several male players talked about the difference
between female/female bonds versus male/male bonds:

yes....closer bonds to other female characters
than any male/male character bonds. Also some male characters
roleplay the "helping the lady" bit. I think I realized
that women are much closer to each other than man are. [m, 35]

I have experienced jealousy at another female
for looking prettier than me or getting more group praise than
me. I have experienced very close bonds with other female characters
(my "sisters") in the all-female guild I have joined.
I have experienced men treating me as an unequal because I am
female. [m, 30]

Whereas male players sometimes found the female
character's world more accepting of emotions, female players found
the male character's world more straight-forward and direct:

People were more passionate about things..If someone
died and I began to crie, all those around me began to comfort
me. That would never happen if I was a male [m, 22]

I enjoy seeing how long they assume I'm male in
RL and I find that conversation is more direct and honest in a
male group. [f, 29]

Yes, the fact that other male characters would
listen to me better and have a greater amount of respect for my
abilities. [f, 22]

Some female players commented that being male wasn't
as easy as they thought it would be:

I used to think men had it easy! Now I know they
have issues too; they are socialized to be more independent and
not ask for help. That has to be tough. [f, 37]

I learned that I use too many hehe's and :)'s
to play a guy, that people are far less helpful and friendly,
if they responded at all. I had never tried playing a character
of another gender before. [f, 23]

When asked whether they thought they had learned
anything about themselves from their virtual gender-bending experiences,
several respondents talked about an increased awareness of their
own masculinity or femininity, or how it let them see society differently:

I have learned how to flirt, how to be sexual
with peole in RL, and most importantly, I now value being a woman,
for the first time in my life. Always before I have focused on
the lack of respect, the expectation of lower quality work from
women, and felt that being a woman i was automatically disrespected.
In eq, i can plainly see that i am respected just for being a
woman, and can now see how in rl, that happens too. That both
viewpoints occur. Somehow, I am able to look at this mess of contradictions
and value myself more. That I am a lot more sexual than I have
thought of myself in the last few years. That being a woman can
be a lot of fun. [f, 40]

As I got to see how the rest of Norrath
treats males and females, I came to realize that, try as I might,
I don't treat men and women equally in RL myself. [m, 25]